Tool box for hexagonal socket wrenches



Jan. 23, 1934. c. E. LITTLE TOOL BOX FOR HEXAGONAL SOCKET WRENCHES FiledOct. 17, 1930 U6 OI HOLLOW-CAP Q SookzrGAP Jive-273 0) 14 L h y 14 m 1fi 5! g Patented Jan. 23, 1934 PATENT @FFHQE.

TOOL BOX FOR HEXAGONAL SDCKET WRENCHES Charles E. Little, Melrose, Mass.

Application October 17, 1930. Serial No. 489,345

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to a box or container for a plurality ofhexagonal socket wrenches or the like.

The development and use of socket wrenches being comparatively new, I amunaware of any previous attempt to nest a series of wrenches, togetherwith a reference chart, or size and gauge table explaining theirrespective uses, and boxed in a neat, compact container or tool box.

lo A' feature of my present invention is the provision of a box,including a cover clamp cooperating with the plurality of tools held inspaced, and preferably nested, relationship within the box so as to bearsubstantially on all said tools and it? to act simultaneously as a coverfor the box and clamp for the contents. This advantage will be readilyappreciated by those skilled in the art.

Another feature of my invention is a box or container so constructed asto hold a plurality of hexagonal socket wrenches of varying lengths andsizes, with brackets holding the wrenches provided with grooves ornotches of various sizes to correspond correctly to the diameters of theseveral wrenches, and said brackets being so positioned as to leavesufiicient space for a reference chart or table explaining the size ofhollow sets and socket cap screws which fit the various wrenchescontained in the box.

A further feature of my invention is the construction of my box orcontainer with a tightly fitting engagement between the top and bottomportions, said top portion or cover bearing upon the top of the wrenchesand being held firmly in place by the frictional engagement of thesides, whereby the wrenches are secured and prevented from getting outof the grooved brackets carrying them.

An additional feature consists in the grooves in said brackets beingstepped or graduated in the brackets to assure all the wrenches being ofthe same height in the box, and thus all bearing against the topsubstantially equally.

Referring to the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the bottom portion of the container with thetop removed;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with the topin place;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 1, illustrating my idea asapplied to larger socket wrenches; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, with the topin place.

In the drawing, 1 designates a box or container, preferably of sheetmetal, containing a plurality of varying sized hexagonal wrenches 3 1with heads 18 and handles 19 resting in specially fitted grooves 5,formed in brackets 6 and '7, said grooves 5 being so constructed as toreceive snugly a wrench 3, each groove being appropriately fashioned insize and form and depth to receive the correspondingly sized wrench.These grooves 5 are so made as to cause the top edges of all saidwrenches 3 of whatever diameter to be of equal height and level. Saidbrackets 6 and 'i' and grooves 5 are so positioned and spaced as tocause said heads 18 and handles 19 of sai wrenches 3 to be snugly nestedtogether.

The line 9 in the reference chart 8 is the hexagonal wrench sizecorresponding appropriately to the figures 10 adjacent each of thehandles 19. Lines 11 and 12 show the sizes of sockets into which thehexagonal wrench in same column above in line 9 fit.

In Fig. 2 the top portion or cover 13 is shown fitting tightly upon saidcontainer 1, and held by friction at 14, said cover 13 contacting withthe wrenches 3 and holding the wrenches 3 securely in the grooves 5,said grooves being correctly formed or notched and stepped to accomplishthis result.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a different modification of my invention is shown toallow for the use of large hexagonal socket wrenches. A set of wrenches15, 15 in container 1 fit into grooves 16 in brackets 1'7 and 29, withthe top portion 13 pressing down to hold the wrenches 15 securely in thegrooves 16. In this modification the reference chart or size and gaugetable 18 is positioned in the central portion of container 1.

While I have shown and described my invention somewhat in detail, itwill be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the principles of my invention or the scope ofthe appended claim.

Also I have illustrated and described the invention with reference to astandard type of socket wrench wherein the handle portion, as well asthe wrench portion, are horizontal or non-cylindrical, but the inventionapplies equally well to a type 9 of wrench, such for example, as theBristo socket wrench, wherein the wrench portion is of one size and thehandle a different size.

I claim as my invention:

As a new article of manufacture, a combined socket wrench holder andtool box, comprising a metallic box-like structure, with a relativelydeep bottom portion and a relatively shallow top, arranged. forfrictionally fitting together, the bottom portion having at least twometallic crossbrackets, with one of said cross brackets spaced from theadjacent end of the bottom portion to allow for and cooperate with thenesting of a plurality of heads of L-shaped socket wrenches to 5 becontained in said box, said cross-brackets having recesses of variabledepth and size to receive corresponding variably sized L-shaped socketwrenches, whereby to hold the shank portion of

